First step validated for group action linked to problems with the 1.2 Puretech engine present in certain Peugeot, Citroën, DS or Opel. In January, the plaintiffs’ lawyer will send a letter to the Stellantis group to “enter into negotiations” and seek compensation.
This is an important first step for motorists with a defective Stellantis Puretech engine. The minimum threshold of 1,000 people necessary to launch a group action was exceeded on the Myléo platform, set up by the lawyers in charge of the case.
“I will start preparing a letter to send to Stellantis next January to propose opening discussions,” says Maître Lèguevaques, also a lawyer in the Renault Motorgate affair. A preliminary step before any criminal procedure, which he does not rule out initiating subsequently.
The purpose of these hoped-for negotiations? Benefit from material and/or financial repairs from the group resulting from the merger between PSA Peugeot-Citroën and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. “We would like to discuss the methods of calculating the compensation,” specifies the lawyer. “Depending on the models, it will be different, something proportional to the price of the new vehicle and its use will be necessary.”
By pooling the procedure, group action – also called class action – offers recourse at a lower cost for consumers. Each plaintiff must pay a sum of 159 euros. And in the event of results, the representing lawyers will recover 12% of the sums paid.
Another advantage, “this makes it possible to give credence to the main arguments when there are thousands of people with the same problem in the same circumstances,” says Mr. Lèguevaques. “Unity is strength.”
Registrations on the MyLéo site remain open until December 31. “People see that something will be able to be done, so they arrive en masse,” assures the lawyer. “Since yesterday (Thursday, November 30), we have had more than 100 people registered.”
Overconsumption of oil, braking problems… According to the Que Choisir website, around 200,000 users are affected by problems linked to the 1.2 Puretech engine, present on several ranges of vehicles from the Peugeot, Citroën, DS or Opel brand. A Facebook page, created by a northern motorist, has more than 20,000 Internet users.